


Curiosity and the Chat

by Jairephix



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-05-05 22:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5393330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jairephix/pseuds/Jairephix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A simple mistake is all it takes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sleepless

That wink had been a final straw. She knew _someone_ in her class winked that way, gave her that same grin, that love of terrible puns. Someone nearby. Chat always smelled a certain way that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Quietly, she held the suspicion that part of their transformations was muddling their memory just enough to not be able to find each other in normal, day to day life. But who would be so confident with her, as Ladybug and as her clumsy self, to flirt so shamelessly? Even just his hair color was something familiar.

Marinette sighed, twiddling the pen between her fingers. She knew it was safer for her to not know who Chat Noir was, but… She wanted to know. She wanted to know who it was behind the mask of the flirt who called her his lady, his princess. Granted he thought he was calling two different girls these things, but…he didn’t know they were the same girl. Tikki just smiled when questioned, staying silent and zipping across the room for another cookie.

Lately, the pet names (ha) were making her heart rush, against her will. And his need to know who she was…why did he want to know so badly? Marinette grumbled, pushing her schoolwork aside to stumble to bed, taking advantage of a quiet, akuma-less night so far, to catch up on some of the sorely missed sleep.

Across Paris, the young man in her thoughts was having similar worries. Adrien wanted nothing more than to drift off to sleep, unwilling to let his concerns keep him from looking every part the model at every hour. If he didn’t, who knew what scolding his father would give to him from a cold video conference?

It was tempting to just grab Plagg and venture out over rooftops, letting the spring air pull his stress away. But it wasn’t just stress from trying to be absolutely perfect all the time that was keeping him awake, threatening him with dark circles beneath his eyes. Oh, no.

It was the knowledge that he had accidentally discovered who his mysterious lady was.

_He had wanted, so hard, to know who his lady was, to be able to woo the girl behind the mask as well. He was head-over-heels for her, haunting his hours. It was only for the thought of her, running by her side, being the only one she counted on, that got him through his photo-shoots, through his silent meals, and long evenings craving sound. At least his privacy allowed him to let Plagg venture almost anywhere without supervision._

_Instead, when Ladybug declared she needed to end her transformation, he found her a closet to do so in, in private. The broom closet was tiny, but his petite lady had no time to find something more suiting. A final warning beep was all she had before she wrenched the door closed, shouting for him to end his own before he wore out his own kwami._

_And so, Chat Noir strut about like a stray cat, ducking down behind a counter, just in time for his ring to flash in warning and Plagg to zip out in search of cheese._

_He peeked out, meaning to just check if the coast was clear. He didn't mean to catch a glimpse of the girl popping out of the closet, blue-black pigtails bobbing as she darted from the room._

_She turned, just as he was ducking back down. He saw those blue eyes, without the mask, and his heart stopped for a moment._

_He knew her. He thought her sweet, caring… But never thought that his confident lady and his shy classmate were the same._

_As she left, leaving him and Plagg the only ones in the building, he whispered her name in awe._

_“Marinette.”_

He had kept quiet for the weeks following, only flirting so shamelessly with her as her silly kitty, letting his lips brush her hand. At school, it was much harder. As he decided that her identity truly didn’t weigh on him, and in fact made her even more amazing in his eyes, Adrien was determined to get to know Marinette even more. He doubted the facade she put up at school was really how she was, with her terror at seeing his face. No, he knew her. She was sarcastic and playful, almost as flirty with him back. She held no fears about facing akuma as her civilian self.

That won him over entirely.

But still, Adrien felt guilt roil in his gut, knowing he had an unfair advantage against her. Now that he knew, he also realized the danger he could put her in. What if he was the target of another akuma like on Valentine’s day? She hadn’t told him what had happened, but he knew it wasn’t good...and if one of them made him spill the truth about her? All trust would be shattered, irreplaceably so.

Chat also pushed harder, trying to get Ladybug to tell him of her own free will. He would rather she think that he learned it from her lips, not by being the fool of fate.

He shook his head. Was it really just a few short weeks ago that he called Marinette his princess? It just slipped out of Chat's mouth, and he rolled with it. But...Marinette wasn't terribly unlike Ladybug in that aspect. She wasn't interested in Chat Noir. Just some mystery boy that he couldn't figure out the identity of.

Realization struck Adrien hard, and he stood, trying to not have his knees go out from under him. What if the boy she liked wasn't at their school? What if he was at a different one?

Well, he wasn't about to lose his lady and princess to some mystery. He had to make her know.


	2. Pondering

An attack came late into the evening, keeping Ladybug out well past her bedtime, and Marinette fought a long battle against the yawns escaping her. These late nights were going to start messing with her schoolwork if she wasn’t careful. As it was, she was trying hard not to get lost in the mesmerizing way that light was dancing through Adrien’s hair this morning, before classes started, slowly lulling her to sleep. He turned, bright green eyes twinkling with some sort of hidden mischief, and a grin that was better suited on a cat dancing on his lips. It almost looks like Chat Noir is grinning at me through Adrien.

Unbidden, her mind analysed his face, adding in the black mask and ears. No, he couldn’t be. Not that over-flirtatious kitty cat! A part of her mind tried to hint that it would make things so much easier, and would give her that affection she dreamed about coming from the model. The rest of her panicked and denied the idea with every fiber of her being.

Marinette almost missed the words he whispered, almost missed the wink, before he turned around. 

“You should get more sleep, princess.” Her heart nearly stopped, a blush flooding her face as Alya elbowed her with a wink.

“Oooh, did you hear that?”

That was Chat’s wink. He calls me ‘princess’. Never around anything recording...does...is Adrien really…? No! No, he can’t. Maybe he’s just being silly…he is a fan of Ladybug. Maybe he’s also a fan of Chat too?

The thought overwhelmed Marinette’s ability to focus, causing her serious embarrassment for the next few hours as she missed question after question asked to her. She couldn’t understand just one thing. If he was just a fan of Ladybug and Chat Noir...why did he call her princess?

She nearly missed the lunch bell. If it wasn’t for Alya shaking her shoulder to snap her out of her thoughts. Her break was completely overrun by her thoughts, trying to use what she knew about both Chat and Adrien to try and disprove it.

“Marinette, you may be overthinking this.” Tikki zipped around the bedroom, stretching after a few hours of being hidden away in the purse.

“Huh? Why do you say that?” The teenage girl looked down, realizing that she had managed to draw cat ears on one of the magazine clippings of Adrien. “Agh!” At least it was one of the extra ones she had, but it still put a pout on her face as she had to throw it out.

“You need to hurry back to school soon, Marinette! Your lunch hour’s almost up!” The girl squawked, scrambling to grab her school bag as she barreled out the door, barely giving Tikki time to zip back into her purse.

Adrien had allowed himself plenty of time to get back to the school to tuck his bags away, and take a moment with the empty halls to talk to his own kwami. “I...I’m starting to wonder if maybe it’s a bad idea to let her know I know.”

“Why’s that?” The cat spirit nibbled the small wedge of cheese, savoring the small snack.

“Well. It’s just...She’s shy. And she...Ladybug, that is...really wants her normal identity hidden.” He leaned against the lockers, staring up at the florescent lights. Even knowing who she was without the mask, he had a hard time combining the two of sides. “I know it’s for safety’s sake. But...Plagg, I don’t know if she’d ever trust me again if she knew I found out.”

“So, why are you trying to get her to figure out who you are again?” The last of the cheese disappeared in a single gulp. “Adrien, how is your dynamic going to change if she finds out that this model has been risking his skin for her? Sure, your suit is pretty much invulnerable to damage, but you can still get banged up. You think she’s going to let Paris’ biggest model continue to throw himself in front of shy, stammering Marinette?”

He blinked, staring at Plagg. “That...was actually...useful.”

“I can be,” the kwami replied with a yawn, settling down in a side pocket of Adrien’s bag. “Now I’m napping, go back to class.”

Following instructions, Adrien was determined to at least find out one thing about this quiet side of his lady. Who this mystery boy was.


	3. Observation

“Hey Alya, hey Marinette.” Nino waved to the two girls as they slid into their seats behind him and his best friend.

“H-hi.”

“Hey.”

Adrien turned as well, offering smiles to both girls. Per usual, Alya just treated it like a normal thing. Marinette turned varying shades of pink and red before squeaking out something that may have been a greeting. _This poor girl! Why does she get so shy around me? She has no problems with Chat...but acting like that other me doesn’t work without the mask. She gets worse! I may have to visit her before patrol tonight to get that information out of her. Or after...yeah, after’ll be better. No use making her sour all patrol!_

“I’m surprised,” he offered up. “No sighting of Ladybug during break, huh?” Nino laughed, pushing him.

“Missing your celebrity crush?”

Marinette squeaked again, turning a new shade of red, as Adrien had to look away from her face. _I can’t give away anything by looking at her when Nino’s doing this! Especially not with Alya being the one running the Ladyblog!_

“C’mon, Nino. I wouldn’t stand a chance. Someone like her with me?”

“Wh-why do you say that?” All three of them turned to look at Marinette in surprise.

“You think I would?”

“W-well. W-who knows who she is b-behind the mask. Everyone in Paris knows A-Adrien Agreste, e-even Ladybug. I bet.” She sounded so sure, if not terribly confident. He wondered if maybe turning away from her to let her talk would be better, but to miss every moment on her face would be a shame.

_How did I never notice her before? Even when I visited her while she wasn’t transformed, she was just as sassy and confident without the costume. Is she just that nervous around me? Why?_

“Man, Marinette, it sounds like you might start shipping Ladybug with Adrien!” Alya grinned, leaning in close, whispering something to her best friend. The designer turned crimson, irises pulling tightly to the center as her eyes widened further. He couldn’t make out the words, not as Adrien, not without the handy skills of being Chat Noir, but it had to be something embarrassing.

_And I know that she hasn’t told Alya who she was, otherwise that news would have hit the web. Despite her best intentions, Alya is a journalist. She’d try to keep quiet and it would slip out. But...me? And Ladybug?_

He felt the blush start to burn on his cheeks, and Adrien turned away, just as their next teacher walked in. The timing couldn’t be any better to help distract him from his thoughts.

The rest of the school day felt like it was dragging on. At some point, he was determined to find out more about this girl. Why was she so shy around him? What did she think of him, of Chat Noir? How did she manage to juggle school, saving Paris, and design and sew things for competitions? The more Adrien thought of this girl, the more he realized that she was something much more than just Marinette or just Ladybug. (As if there was anything about Ladybug that wasn’t remarkable!) Was she like him, in that wearing the mask let her be less afraid of herself and her emotions? If so, maybe Marinette was much stronger than she believed herself to be.

The final bell finally sounded, and while most students were halfway out the door, and Chloe was already trying to make eyes at him. Trying not to roll his eyes at her again, Adrien turned to look at the girls behind him, letting Chat ooze out for just a moment. “Hey, guys, do you want to see if we can hang out this weekend? I don’t actually have a shoot scheduled for once.”

Marinette’s gaze was wide, blankly staring. If he didn’t know better, he’d be certain she was a computer, and had her screen frozen. Alya grinned, wrapping her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “We’d love to.”

“Great!”


	4. Panic

“Alya _I can’t do this_.” Marinette paced the floor of her bedroom, fingers aching as she twisted her hands over and over again.

“Why not?” The blogger glanced up from her latest update, with new theories submitted by an anonymous guest.

“It’s _Adrien_. I. He.” There was a pause. What good reason did she have for turning down a day out with the one and only? There were no Akuma threats, the day was gorgeous, and the weekend weather forecast promised nothing but sunshine. “H-he was acting...different today. II don’t know how to describe it, just that he was...like…”

“Like he was flirting?”

Marinette froze, body going tense as Alya hit the issue on the nose. _Flirting, alright. Just like Chat. Not that I'm going to tell Alya that._ She shook her head, picking up her pacing once more.

“No! Well, yes. But. I. He.”

“He…?”

“What if he was? _What if he wasn’t?!_ Alya, I don’t know if I can handle being around Adrien that long out in public? What if I fall? What if I do something totally embarrassing like throwing a cup of coffee on him, or breaking his phone? I’m a total klutz! I shouldn’t be trusted with these things!” As her mind began its play by play of worst-case scenarios, the other girl stood, hands on her hips.  
“I know exactly what to do.”

“You...do?”

“Yep!” She flashed a mischievous grin. “First, we get you the most fantastic outfit ever. Something casual, completely Marinette, but totally cute, so he can’t take his eyes off you.”

“First...meaning...you have a second part?”

“The next...just be Ladybug!”

She swore she heard her own heart stop as nervous laughter forced itself out of her throat, bubbling in the air. “I. Me. Ladybug. What? Are you _crazy?_ I could never be Ladybug!” Internally, Marinette winced as her voice cracked on the last word.

“I mean act like her, girl! Not become a superhero! I know you, you’d only beat the bad guys by spazzing out and doing something accidentally!”

She let out a long breath, relaxing visibly. “Yeah, you’re right. But, Ladybug is so...cool! And graceful and confident!”

“So just pretend you’re Ladybug, and use that to your advantage!”

“You...think that would work?”

“Girl, you know it! Now let’s get into that wardrobe of yours. I know everything in here is uniquely you, but let’s find something that’ll make him never want to look at anyone but you!”

For now, her worries vanished as she laughed and played through her closet with her best friend. Alya was right, more than she knew. Marinette could pretend to be her masked self, and that might give her the boost of confidence she needed.

From across the room, Tikki peeked up from behind the sewing machine with a wide, happy smile. This would be a good weekend for Marinette. She just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the fantastic comments, kudos, and subscriptions so far! The next couple of chapters may be coming a little slowly, as I have work coming back up, and I'm going from 10 days on my butt doing nothing to a 40 hour work week. Never fear, though! I should be coming through with more chapters soon!


	5. Late Night Talks

Patrol was just what she needed to get her nerves under control. The cool wind pulling at her skin as she spun and flipped over rooftops, the soft padding of her feet, or her partner’s, right behind her.

As long as she was in the suit, Marinette’s nerves disappeared, and she was left with just the bravado of Ladybug. And it was thrilling.

To her surprise, Chat was the one that called patrol tonight. “Sorry, my Lady, but I have prior engagements to attend to this evening. But, without a whisker of a doubt, I will miss you more than the sweetest cream in all of France.”

She rolled her eyes at the puns, letting the smile dance on her lips anyway. “Alright, silly kitty. Take care of whatever you need to. I’ll see you tomorrow night for patrol.”

“Of course, my Lady.” With a bow, Chat took off over the rooftops, leaving her feeling slightly puzzled. Since when did he leave without kissing her hand? Or telling her goodnight, or offering himself to her dreams?

“Something’s up with that cat,” she muttered, swinging off for home. After the nip of the cool air, some cocoa wouldn’t go amiss.

Of course, when the stray cat showed up on her roof not even half an hour later, she sighed, moving to her balcony in the fluffiest pajamas she owned. _Of course I’m his prior engagement. He’s like a stray that keeps coming back! But...what must his home life be like if no one notices him missing for this long? Doesn’t he have other people to talk to?_

For the first time ever, Marinette looked at her partner in a new light, and the burning desire to know more about the boy behind the mask grew just a bit hotter.

“Don’t you have anyone at home to talk to, Chat? Not that I’m denying your company, of course!”

She watched his tail twitch a little as he looked towards the iconic tower in the distance. “Princess, I wish I did. It’s lonely at home.”

For a moment her mind went to the boy seated in front of her, and the echoing halls of his mansion. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help.”

“Oh, but you do. More than you know.” He flashed a grin to her, the flirty wink marking the return of his good humor. “Sadly, Princess, I have to go. Get some sleep, and rest up.” It sounded like he had something more to say, but the cat leapt off into the distance before she could ask.

Now she _had_ to know, and it took Tikki hours to convince Marinette to go to bed instead of theorizing. It was only when the false dawn's early hours threatened deep circles under her eyes did she finally lay down to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter for you guys tonight (as I'm an hour and half past my bedtime!) but I have a longer chapter that'll get posted after I get home from work tomorrow. Also...look forward to some Ladrien in coming chapters!


	6. Park

Tikki continue to cheer silently from Marinette’s purse as they headed out from home, meeting everyone across the street at the park. Sure, the statue made her giggle every time she saw it, right out her front doors, but it also helped boost her ego.

Sure, Ladybug may only be a face of hers, but it was still _her_. Knowing the people of Paris loved her this much...It may not be a personal love, it may not be romantic...but it was still love. _Though,_ a treacherous part of her mind spoke, _what if Nino was right? Does Adrien have a crush on Ladybug...on me?_

The thought alone made Marinette stumble over the curb, nearly flailing and falling into the same person she had just been thinking about. Chat’s bronze grin gleamed over the blond’s head, his smile almost perfectly mirrored. Eyes wide, she swallowed, stuttering out an apology. “Don’t worry about it, Marinette.” He beamed brightly at her, lips just a few inches apart. If she was a bolder girl, Marinette would have pushed herself that short distance.

_But I’m not Chloe. I don’t force myself on Adrien all the time. Ugh._ Her thoughts must have played over her face, because he frowned, for just a moment. “O-oh! Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts for a moment. Um.”

“Wow, girl, you move fast.”

_Oh, **no**._

The last thing she needed after a klutz attack into the boy of her dreams was for her best friend to take it entirely the wrong way.

“Alya! I just tripped, and Adrien caught me…why do you have a pair of picnic baskets?”

Alya beamed, mischief clear in her eyes. “Because we’re having picnics! Here, this one is for you two, I’m going to wait for Nino to get here.” Panic overwhelmed Marinette, temporarily blinding her to the fact she hadn’t moved from his grasp.

“Why don’t we all wait for him together?” Of course that would be when her traitor stomach growled. _Tikki didn’t remind me how much more food I eat now that I’m a heroine, not just regular old Marinette…_ The blogger shoved the basket forward again, until he took it.

“Have fun, you two!” Of course, when she felt Adrien’s soft chuckle against her back, she realized she was still pressing both hands into his chest, as if she was a moment away from kissing him. With a yelp, Marinette stumbled backwards, striding purposefully towards the park. _Okay, Marinette, you can do this! You’ve been spending more time with Adrien, just one on one. He’s always nice to you, he seems like he’s opening up more...maybe he was just really shy too?_

Adrien followed her, lost in his own thoughts. _Times like this make me really uncertain about whether or not she’s actually Ladybug...if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I’d be convinced she wasn’t._ But when Marinette turned around, eyes sparkling as she offered a shaded space near the fountain for their picnic for two, he had to fight down the flush covering his face. “Yeah, this looks awesome, thanks.”

_If I get to the point where I can’t look at her because of her smile, no matter if she calls herself Ladybug or Marinette...I’m screwed._

* * *

_I did it. I acted like a normal human being around Adrien! Again! Yes!_ Marinette blissfully ignored the quieter thoughts reminding her that normal human beings wouldn’t be celebrating acting normal around other people. It was embarrassing, at first, as they discovered that Alya had packed as romantic of a dinner for two as one could get into a picnic basket. Candles, plastic roses (which Adrien had took in his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows at her. If it wasn’t for the sight being so ridiculous, she would have been babbling instead of laughing), and even plastic champagne flutes with sparkling grape juice.

As she fumbled over her tongue, trying to apologize for Alya, Adrien took it entirely in stride. It was sweet, it was fun…

And damn it all, it was romantic, whether that was his intention or not. But it wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t movie quality. It was the kind of everyday romance that swept Marinette off her feet, that she didn’t think to daydream of.

Now she would.

It left Adrien feeling more than a little hopeful, if a little silly. _Maybe now the girl behind the mask can get to know this kitty too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you I'd get another chapter up today! However, this leaves us with the problem that I don't know when the next time I can update is. Thank you all for so many comments, kudos, subscriptions...everything. I'm floored every time I see another one. <3


	7. Flustered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which much happens and Marinette's brain explodes.

Day turned to evening, and all too soon it was time for Adrien to go home. An hour later found Marinette pacing her bedroom floor.

“Tikki...do you think what Nino said the other day is true? That Adrien has a crush on Ladybug?”

“I don’t know.”

_ I guess there’s only one way to find out how he feels about me...and me.  _ “Tikki...Transform me!”

The Parisian night air pulled the worries and concerns of Marinette away on the wind, leaving behind just the cool confidence that was dressed in red and black. It took only a moment for her to swing across Paris’ rooftops, running and flipping over gaps, to reach the same block as her classmate. The first question was how to figure out which large glass window was Adrien’s. Did it face the courtyard in the front, or did it face the Eiffel tower, where she now perched? A quick scan of the building from her viewpoint determined that only one part of the house was even lit from inside. The panel of windows was in fact this side of the mansion.

Unclipping her yoyo from her side, Ladybug flipped open her compact to scan the room. Sure enough, there was the boy she wanted to see, laying sprawled on his bed, playing a handheld game. A quick flick of her wrist, and the compact became her counterweight once more.

Nerves set in once more as she lowered herself to the windows. It struck her suddenly at how utterly ridiculous, and slightly stalkerish, this seemed. After all, why on earth would she be dangling outside of someone’s bedroom window like this, like some sort of little house spider? Before she could think over her plan again, a black blur zipped through Adrien’s room, disappearing through another door.

_ What was  _ **_that_ ** _?!  _ She wondered, turning too late to notice Adrien’s look of surprise, then hope, and finally careful schooling as he pushed open the window next to her.

“Ladybug?” He whispered, almost as if he was afraid to say her name, only to watch her disappear.

“Oh! Uh. Hey! I’m just...checking in on you…”

“Why? Am I in danger from an akuma?”

“Huh? Oh, no! Not at all. I’m just...stopping by because…” Marinette panicked, thinking quickly for a solution. “Because my friend Marinette asked me to check in on you!”

“Mar...i...nette?” He sounded out her name slowly, in disbelief.

“Uh, yeah! See, we...talk, from time to time. She told me what was said in class the other day. Her class, that is.”  _ Time to try some of Chat Noir’s charm, and see if it actually works!  _ “Something about having a crush on me?”

“Wh-what?” He recoiled slightly, and she thought that he would slam the window shut on her...until she noticed the bright blush growing on his cheeks. “I swear, Nino…”

“A friend?”

“Yeah, one with a big mouth. I...um. Pretty much all of Paris does, after all. You’re...you’re strong, and smart, and you protect us all from akuma.” Adrien bit back the rest of the words that wanted to tumble out of his mouth. He may know who the girl was behind the mask, but she didn’t know him, and he didn’t want to scare her away, as either Ladybug or as Marinette.

“Oh!” She blushed, a different sight with the mask. He had never been able to coax that from her before. “Well, I’m flattered, honestly…”

“Flattered?”

“Yes! Such a handsome boy saying such sweet things--” Her eyes went wide, and he had to try to hide a giggle as his own blush turned brighter.

“Handsome, huh?”

“Well, Mr. Agreste, you  _ are  _ a model.”

“Please...Mr. Agreste is my father. Just call me Adrien...please.” Ladybug pulled back slightly, tilting her head to inspect him in a slightly different light.

_ I know Adrien’s home life isn’t too great...but something in his tone makes me feel like he’s trying to say more than he doesn’t want to be called like his father. But what is it? _

“Um. Can I ask you something else, Ladybug?”

“Of course! What is it?”

“Can...I kiss you?” His heart raced against his ribcage. “You don’t have to say yes! I don’t...I don’t know why I said that, I just…”

“I think I can agree to that.”

“Wh-what?”

And then her lips met his. It was brief, and he had honestly expected her to kiss his cheek, if anything, but her lips had burned against his, and one thought raced through Adrien’s mind as she giggled, wished him a good night, and swung away over rooftops.

 

He knew who the boy Marinette liked was.

He never dreamed it would be him.

* * *

Marinette fled to school, late yet again.

First she had stayed up all night, silently freaking out about kissing Adrien.

Then, when she finally managed to fall asleep due to exhaustion more than anything else, she was awoken by an akuma shaking the building as it rampaged past her.

And finally? Chat Noir had dropped a doozy into her proverbial lap.

_ “I’ll see you at school, my Lady~” He had purred, bowing and kissing her hand before sprinting away. Ladybug had barely managed to stay calm, but as Marinette untransformed on her balcony, she was back in her pajamas. _

_ And she was late to school. Again. _

Carefully, with as much skill as she could manage without Ladybug’s luck, she eased the door to their classroom open, tiptoed over to her desk, and slid in silently. Alya gave her a startled thumbs up before scribbling out a hasty note to slide over.

_ You missed Adrien skipping in this morning. Normally he’s dragging his feet after early morning photoshoots. It was weird. _

That  **was** weird. Much like herself, Adrien wasn’t much of a morning person. A lot of days, they were both late.

Granted, those days always were days akuma attacked… the same thought that had been plaguing her for the last few days bubbled up again.  _ He  _ **_could_ ** _ be Chat Noir...how do you know he’s not, Marinette? _

That left her in quite a dilemma. She had just kissed Adrien last night. Kissed the boy of her dreams, who definitely was in love with Ladybug, since he had asked for that kiss. That would mean she kissed her partner. It was hard to formulate thoughts for the first hour of class, what with Adrien turning in his seat to catch glimpses of her when reaching into his bag.

She spent the remaining hours leading up to lunch break panicking, going over everything carefully in her mind, keeping her attention firmly on the paper in front of her, rather than chancing meeting her crush’s glance. Chat always seemed to be the one to check up on Adrien, or get him out of trouble when an akuma attacked. More and more things lined up, and Marinette felt her pulse race harder and harder.

When the bell rang for lunch, she ran home.

* * *

“Tikki...am I missing anything?” The designer paced the length of her room, fretting.

“You went through all the akuma you fought?” The response was Tikki’s tiny voice from above her sewing machine. Marinette chewed her lip, nodding.

“There’s just one thing bugging me.”

“What’s that, Marinette?”

“When Kim was Dark Cupid. Those hate-arrows, right?” The kwami nodded, listening intently. “Chat was going to tell me something, then was shot with an arrow.” The little ladybug watched her charge start to go through her normal anxiety panic. “We knew the only way to break Chat out of that was a kiss.  _ True love’s  _ kiss. But, the only boy in my heart is Adrien...how could I have broken that spell over him...unless...I…”

“You love Chat.”

“How could I love him like that?!” Instead of flailing through her mental processes, the girl groaned, flopping over onto the floor.

“True love isn’t just romantic, Marinette.” The kwami zipped over to hover in front of her. “You love Alya, but you don’t want to date her, right?”

“Right.”

“So why do you think it was romantic with Chat?”

“Because only true love’s  _ kiss _ ,  Tikki! You don’t just kiss someone with everything you feel in your heart if it’s only pla...ton...ic.” The realization sunk in. “I...I think I do...no! No, I can’t like Chat that way! You’re right, it has to be platonic. You can still love your friends, and that’s true love.”

Springing up off the floor with her denial loud on her lips, Marinette nodded. “C’mon, Tikki! I have to get back to school before lunch is over!”

* * *

All denials went flooding out of her system the moment Marinette actually saw Adrien. He lounged against the school steps in a way that could only be described as suspiciously cat-like. Her steps slowed, halting entirely when he pushed himself upright, striding towards her purposefully.

“Hey, Marinette.” Her heart was ready to burst. She would die, right here and now, from heart failure.

“H-h-hi, Adrien!”

“So, I was wondering.”

“Y-yeah?”

“I’d like to get to know you better. I had a lot of fun this weekend...want to go out this weekend too? Movies and lunch?”

“Like a date?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. To surprise, delight, and utmost terror, his smile grew wide.

“Exactly like a date.”

“Yes!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for such a long wait between chapters! I gave you guys a bigger one, to make up for it. ;D


	8. Smile

She was panicking. That’s all Tikki could describe this as. Marinette had torn every object in her closet out of it, left it strewn around the room, and half the projects she started were left over several flat surfaces. In her worry over the word “date”, the heroine had determined nothing in her wardrobe was appropriate enough for spending time alone with her crush.

“Marinette…” The kwami phased through a skirt the girl had thrown. She had tried to decide on that particular item several times, only to throw it aside each time. “I think you might be worrying too much about this. Again.”

“But, Tikki. What if he dresses in something really nice, like something from one of his photoshoots?” She spun, grabbing at her head and messing her hair up worse than it already was. “What if he dresses really nice, and takes me somewhere fancy, and I’m not dressed right for it? Or what if he dresses really casual, and I’m over-dressed, and then he thinks I’m going too far? What if he--”

“Marinette, stop. It’s okay!” Tikki zipped about, landing on a couple of items in particular. “Wear these, instead of making another _outfit_ for this. And then take a deep breath, and relax. And you want to make sure that you can clean up. Your mom will flip out if you leave your room like this!”

The girl was about to move to clean up the entire room, when her phone buzzed from under the pile of clothing on the bed. She sprinted up the stairs to her bed, flinging cloth in every direction. She hit answer, right as Alya began a rant about Marinette needing a tracker for her phone.

“Sorry, I was trying to figure out…”

“Girl, if this is about your _date_ \--”

“I was going to tell you, I promise!”

“When?!”

“After I figured out what to wear?”

“I’m downstairs. I’m helping, and we are so talking about this.” Marinette froze, hearing footsteps tromping up the staircase to the only object uncovered in her room: the trap door leading into the house. Tikki zipped up to Marinette, tucking herself down between pillows, right as Alya pushed the door up and open.

“Did a hurricane hit? There’s clothes everywhere.”

* * *

She hadn’t expected their date to end up here, at her favorite landmark in the world. Marinette leaned against one of the railings, disappointed that they couldn’t go higher.

_I could as Ladybug…_ came a thought, before she physically shook it off.

Adrien was smiling, she noticed, a wide easy grin she rarely saw on his face. He seemed almost...proud, of the city below them. Marinette new that she could be. After all, this was her city.

“I’m glad that I can be up here with you,” came the words. She looked over, meeting those brilliant green eyes for a moment before she stared out over the Parisian rooftops. “This...may be my favorite place. I...can’t get out often, but I love being up here. It’s like I can watch over the entire city. Keep it safe. Like...it’s mine.”

Marinette smiled, listening. Just listening to him open up was more than she could have hoped for.

“You have her smile.”

She froze.

“Her smile is just like that. Warm, loving. Like everything good in the world. Like that smile alone could make every bit of bad luck vanish.”

She turned, slowly. Was he saying she had his mother’s smile again, or was he comparing her to Ladybug?

“M-Marinette.”

“Y-yes?” She had never heard him stutter like that. Especially not over her name. Her heart could stop right then and there, and she’d die happy.

“I...I was wondering. Would...I’d like to get to know you better. A _lot_ better. Could...do you think we…”

“A-are you...are you asking if we....”

“I can understand if you don’t want to! I’m always busy, and girls like Chloe get jealous and--”

“Adrien Agreste are you asking if I want to date you?!”

“Er. Yes?”

That was it. That was proof. She died. She had to have.

After all, why would a supermodel want to date plain old Marinette?

“Yes!”

Then she looked over, to realize he was close, and leaning in...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *leaves it here for unknown time, just to listen to the screaming* <3


	9. Insight

"A-A-Adrien?" She sputtered, leaning away. If it wasn't for his quick reflexes, she would have gone over the edge. Marinette would have been a pancake at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. The thought sobered her up, and she pulled away in the _other_ direction. "I. Um. Wh-what are you doing?"

The model froze, only now processing what it could have looked like. Out of nowhere, super-star model wants to kiss the shy girl in public? _Good thinking, Adrien, he scolded himself._ Suddenly aware of the whispering girls around them, he winced. "Sorry, Marinette. I...um. I thought I saw a bug in your hair." Luck was on his side for once, and a small ladybug flew from behind her at just that moment.

"Oh!" She watched the tiny beetle with something in her eyes he couldn't describe. Humor, maybe? Or joy. Either way, he found himself at a loss for words. How could he have been so utterly blind before? Knowing that Marinette and Ladybug were one in the same, how could he have missed it, just in her eyes?

_Because you never actually looked at Marinette like that before,_ came the thought, full of shame. _Or rather, you did. Once. When you first met, she was angry at you, and you gave her your umbrella on that rainy day. You looked at her when you laughed, and she had that honest, shy grin on her face. How could you have forgotten so easily she was so fiery when you first spoke to each other?_

That was the question, wasn't it? With everything he'd seen of her, with all the times she spoke up and defended people, without a mask to protect her, how could he have utterly missed her in his search before?

Adrien was aware of Marinette turning and looking at him, as he stared openly at her. He blushed, looking away. "Um. Sorry. Why...why don't we go to the park?"

"Okay."

_Breathe, Marinette. Breathe. You know you're not dreaming, you don't dream about Adrien without there being a crazy mishap. So far no massive klutz attacks, no akuma, nothing embarrassing. So what if your crush is now your boyfriend and he almost kissed you on top of the Eiffel Tower in a super romantic way that you just completely blocked. Adrien. Fricking. Agreste. Is. Your. Boyfriend._

How she managed to make it down to the ground without falling once, Marinette would never know. But there she was, her hand held shyly in Adrien's. They were walking back towards her house, to the park, to spend the day together. Just them. Not a care in the world.

It was a dream come true. Which meant she kept biting the inside of her mouth, expecting the pain to wake her up at any moment, and it wasn't.

They stopped and sat beneath a tree, smiling shyly at each other in silence for a long time. Finally, he couldn't take the silence any more, and broke it. "So, what do you think Ladybug is like?"

Her heart sank a little. Of course he would be thinking of her super-confident superhero self, not the boring girl beside him. He probably had plenty of girlfriends already, she wasn't super special. "Um, I don't know."

"But she said you're her friend." 

Right, she had said that before, hadn't she? Adrien was definitely interested in Ladybug, and Marinette was the easy way. But, wait, hadn't she only told that to Chat Noir? Knowing how much that cat liked the spotlight, though, he probably said something to Alya, and--but, no. Alya would have hounded her and-wait, no. Because she had gotten that "exclusive interview" with Ladybug for her, as a replacement for that one video, and never said anything about Marinette being the one to arrange it.

Despite all her mental gymnastics, Marinette took a deep breath and continued in a low tone. "Yeah, but. It doesn't mean I know what she's like under her mask. Sometimes...people are different depending on whose around them, and who they can trust."

"I know how that is," came the soft response. She looked up only to see Adrien smiling sadly at the ground. "Even Chloe, who I've known forever, only sees model-me. Nino and Alya, and even you, Marinette, you all see me as a _person_. Not a product. It's...nice."

"It...it's hard, isn't it? I-I bet...I bet she, and probably even Chat Noir too, love their job, but...knowing that people might not like who you are under the mask, because your normal self isn't the same as your hero self...would be scary."

"I like talking like this. With you." He looked up, smiling brightly. She thought she would pass out. He looked so honestly happy, it hurt her chest. How often did he get to smile like this?

"M-me too."

"You can tell me anything, Marinette. I mean it. Who would believe me if anything got out?" He shrugged, laughing. "I could probably same I'm Chat Noir, and no one would believe me."

He gave her a grin, one too familiar and too natural on his face when he relaxed. One too mischievous to be the model's, too predatory to be anything but a cat.

"I would." Marinette wasn't looking at him now, her head turned away. She couldn't look at him with that smile. What he said next made her turn around, eyes wide and heart racing. After all, it didn't sound like Adrien who spoke, but her absolutely silly kitty of a partner.

"May I kiss you, my lady?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, long time no see! I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting, but it's for a good reason. I've been working on my own novel! Which unfortunately means that after this chapter, I'll be on semi-permanent hiatus. I'm hoping to update when I get inspiration for this and my Dramione series but updates will be far and few between. As always, thank you so much for your continued support, kudos, and comments! (And I am only a little sorry I leave you all with a cliffhanger...)


	10. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which....well.

She froze, struck by the words, tone, even his smile. If she wasn’t looking directly at him, Marinette would have sworn that her crime-fighting partner had dropped down and swapped out for her classmate.

“Y-you sounded like Chat Noir.”

“Maybe that was on purpose?” Adrien looked around, double-checking no one was close enough to hear them. The park was fairly empty, so close to noon, when the restaurants lining the streets around them would be busy enough taking orders. If he was right, they had 10 minutes to talk in peace. They couldn’t go back to her house, with her parents ready to check on them every moment if she didn’t get pulled into helping work. They definitely couldn’t go back to his, as empty as it was. He wasn’t allowed company. So it had to be here, or late tonight on her balcony, or on patrol.

“W-why would you…”

“Do...Do you not like that?” The thought hadn’t crossed his mind before. What if Marinette _didn’t like_ Chat Noir? What if knowing they were the same person would drive her away?

“I mean, I like Chat and all.” He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “But...Adrien, why not just be...you?”

This was it. This was the moment of truth. He had to tell her.

“Marinette, I...I have to tell you something. It’s only right, if we’re going to...you know. Be dating and all.”

“Okay…” She didn’t sound so certain, but he could see her stubborn nature start to settle in. If he tried to back out now, she would pounce harder, and get it out of him, one way or another.

“I. Um. I’m…”

“Can you hurry up and just tell her already? I’m hungry and you didn’t pack any cheese!” The teens both froze as Plagg poked his head out of Adrien’s pocket. The kwami sighed, poking a tiny paw aggressively at his human’s chest. “I thought you would have said something AGES ago now.”

“Is. Is that. Um. Ha, ha ha! What a weird trick, are you a ventriloquist?”

“Oh, cut it out. Where’s Tikki?” Adrien watched Marinette freeze up, panic now taking over her face. “I can feel her nearby anyway.”

“Plaaaaaaagg, you have the worst timing ever.” He glanced down at the tiny cat face, pushing him roughly back into his pocket. Movement caught his attention, and he looked up in time to see his date stand up and clutch her purse by the strap, hard. “Marinette, is...is everything--”

“We’ll talk tonight.”

“Marinette, wait!”

It was too late, as she was already sprinting away from him, heading back towards the bakery. Adrien watched her stumble over the curb, just for a moment, before she regained her balance and sprinted towards her house door.

“....So. Cheese?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK, YO. Updates may still be far between, but I'm back at the writing game for the first time in months. If you're part of the The Adventure Zone fandom, you may have seen a few of my other fics go by. It's gotten me back in the writing groove, and I'm seeing if I can try to update my other series as well.


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